Shedding mechanism for looms



2 Sheets--Sheet 1.

G. O. DRAPER & J. H. NORTHROP. SHEDDING MECHANISM FOR LOOMS.

(No Model.)

N0. 576,506f Patented Feb. 2', 1897..

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SHEDDING MEGHANISM FOR LOOMS.

No. 576,506. Patented Feb, 2,1897.-

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UNTTE STATES ATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE O. DRAPER AND JAMES H. NORTHROP, OF HOPEDALE, MASSA- CHUSETTS, ASSIGNORS TO THE NORTHROP LOOM COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE AND SACO MAINE.

SHEDDING MECHANISM FOR LOOMS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 576,506, dated February 2, 1897. Application filed September 19, 1896. Serial No. 606,321- (NO odel-l To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, GEORGE O. DRAPER and JAMES H. N ORTHROP,0f Hopedale, county of Worcester, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Shedding Mechanism for Looms, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings,- is a specification, like letters and figures on the drawings representing like parts.

Thisinvention relates to that class of looms wherein the harness-frames are provided with heddles composed of thin metallic strips having holes for the reception of the warpthreads, said devices being made effective in stopping the loom when a warp-thread breaks or unduly slackens.

In anotherapplication, Serial No. 592,571, filed by one of us the harness-frames were positively held in absolute alinement by the rigid side bars of the frames moving in fixed Vertical bearings and with no connection between the different frames.

In this present invention the harness frames are freely suspended from connections at the top and bottom thereof, and said frames are not positively guided at the sides and prevented from having some lateral movement, but they are loose and are free to have some lateral movement, which at times is demanded The construction of the loom is thus simplified and wear is decreased. Means are also provided herein whereby the attendant can readily adjust the harness without the use of tools in a rapid and easy manner.

The warp stop-motion herein shown is not claimed nor described in detail, as the same forms the subject-matter of the pending application, Serial N 0. 592,571, referred to.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the lefthand end of a loom embodying our invention, the breast-beam and lay being omitted for the sake of clearness. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view of the loom shown in Fig. 1, taken on the line as w, looking to the left. Fig. 3 is' an enlarged vertical sectional View of one of the adjusting devices, taken on the line 00' as, Fig. 1; and Figs. 4 and 5 are enlarged perspective views of one of the stands or boxes and the heddle-guide support.

The loom-frame A, crankshaft A, the cross or cam shaft A the lay A breast-beam B, and the shipper-handle A held by the usual notched plate when the loom is running properly, are and may be all as common in looms. To uprights A at each side of the frame are attached open stands or boxes A, (see Fig. 4,) through which the crank-arms A are ex tended, each stand having secured thereto or forming part of it a cross-girt a, extended across the loom from side to side and forming a separator for two adjacent series of bed dles, as in the application referred to. A flat plate a is shown as secured to the bottom of the cross-girt and preferably having milled or finely-notched edges to engage the vertical edge of a dropped heddle to assist in pre venting it from twisting.

A heddle-guide support E, Fig. 5, is secured by suitable bolts 3 to the top of each stand or box A, said support having depending feet 6', which straddle the cross-girt a when in position, said feet havingsecured to their inner faces heddle-guides c by suitable fastenin gs, as bolts 4, the guides extending from one to the other side of the loom to receive the two series of heddles and guide them at their upper ends, the separator a beinginterposed between the two series.

The rocker-shaft F, having arms f rigidly secured thereto and forked at their outer ends, carrying the feelers f preferably notched or toothed on their inner edge to engage the edge of a dropped heddle of one or other of the series, said feelers being vibrated toward and from the foot or plate a by oscillation of the shaft F, is as shown and described in the application referred to, the parts herein being correspondingly lettered. As in said application, the rock shaft F has fast thereon an arm f provided with a slotted ear f", and a lug f extended laterally beneath an arm f loose on the shaft F and weighted at f to rest against an actuating-cam C on shaft A A curved rod f on arm f extends through the slotted earf and is surrounded by a spring 8, the strength of which is sufficient to normally hold the lug f against the under side of the arm f so that normally rocking of arm f by its cam will, through the spring, cause rocking of the shaft F. hen a heddle drops, however, the feeler f engaging it would prevent vibration of the feeler, and the rockshaft would be stopped without interfering with the movement of the arm f At such time the slotted arm f fast on the rock-shaft F, acts, through a stud g, 011 the dagger g, pivoted at g on an elbow-lever g g one arm of which normally rests against the shipperhandle A" and fails to move the lip g out of the path of a notched lug h, shown as mounted on one of the lay-supports A As the lay continues its backward movement the dagger is moved in the direction of its length, turning the lever g g to press the shipper-handle A out of its usual holdingnotch, so that the released handle may operate to shift the driving-belt from the fast to the loose pulley, as usual, to stop the loom.

When the loom is running properly, the oscillation of the rock-shaft F acts to swing the dagger 9 out of the path of the lug h, so that the shipper-releasing mechanism will normally remain inoperative.

At each side of the loom upright arms A are provided, having bearings at their upper ends for a cross-shaft I), having secured thereto sheaves c d, to which are secured, respectively, flexible straps or supports 0 (V for the heddle-fralnes.

The heddle-frames are herein shown as composed of top bars 0 cl and bottom bars 0 (Z respectively, rigidly connected by upright side bars 0 (1 To each heddle-frame at its top is secured an upturned threaded link a extended loosely through a hole in the bot tom a of a stirrup e attached in suitable manner to each of the supporting-straps 0 (1 A nut a is screwed onto the end of the link a projecting into the stirrup, said nuts having locking-ears a (see Fig. 3) to embrace the sides of the stirrup-base a and prevent accidental rotation of said nuts. These nuts are made to turn easily on the links, so that by lifting the link until the locking projections a are disengaged from the stirrup the attendant can turn the nut up or down with his fingers to secure the desired adjustment quickly and accurately without the use of tools.

Levers I) pivoted on a cross-girt b of the loom-frame, are connected by adjustable straps or links Z9 Z1 to the bottom bars 0 d of the respective heddle-frames, said levers carrying rolls 6 7, acted upon by the peripheries of actuating-cams O 0 to operate the heddle-frames, the depression of one frame acting, by the overhead connection described, to lift the other frame.

It will be seen that the frames are not positively guided at their sides, but that they are free to move laterally for a limited distance between the two heddle-guide supports E, according to the demands made by thediffering tension of the warps as the harnesses are hung or sustained in suspension between their upper and lower supports.

Cross-bars C D are extended through longitudinal slots in the heddles, said bars being suitably secured to the heddle-frames, and to avoid confusion in Fig. 2 the heddles II are shown in dotted lines.

The side bars of the heddle-frames move between the cross-girt or separator a and the feet e, supporting the heddle-guides e The construction herein shown is simple and strong, and while the action is positive there is no undue rigidity of parts.

Having fully described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a loom, a pairof reciprocating heddleframes, and a series of heddles on each frame to act as warp-detectors, combined with a fixed separator to separate the lower ends of the heddles of one series from the lower ends of the heddles of the other series, a stationary guide into which the lower ends of the heddles enter, stands having depending, separated feet for the heddle-guide and between which the side bars of the heddle-frames are free to move laterally, means connected to the bottoms of the heddle-frames, to reciprocate them, and upper connections between the tops of the frames, substantially as described.

2. In a loom, a heddle-frame having upturned threaded links attached to its top, an overhead rotatable shaft, depending straps secured thereto each having a stirrup through which one of said links is loosely extended, and a combined adjusting and retaining nut on each link to rest on the stirrup and provided with a locking-earto prevent accidental rotation of the nut, substantially as described.

In a loom, a heddle-frame, an overhead rotatable shaft, connections between it and the top of the heddleframe, including stirrups and cooperating threaded links extended loosely therethrough, and adjusting-nuts on said links, provided with locking-ears to straddle the stirrup-bases and prevent accidental rotation of the nuts, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE O. DRAPER. JAMES I l. NORTIIROP.

Vitnesses:

WM. W. KNIGHT, C. D. BANCROFT. 

